Very bad news: Haze may persist until next year

Last Updated on 2016-05-18 , 5:00 pm

Every year, we used to have eleven months of fresh air, and one month of hazy air. But this year, it was initially projected earlier that the haze would most likely end in November—that’s a totality of three hazy months.

But today, another bad news struck us. It’s going to be a hazy new year after all.

According to the media, experts have warned that due to the fire spreading to new areas in Indonesia and that the dry season that will persist, the haze could only end by January or March 2016.

That’s another six more months of haze, and it’s very, very bad, indeed.

According to Henry Purnomo, a scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research, there have been fires detected in Papua, a region that usually has no big fire. This is due to people (or companies) opening new agriculture areas.

Usually, around October or November, there will be a wet season in the region with fires, and the rain will clear the fire organically. However, this year, there might be a dry season until December, and therefore, it will be a different year altogether.

While Indonesia has been increasing their efforts to fight the fire, with Singapore and Malaysia sending help., it has been a challenging task. As of 7 October 2015, over 140,000 people in Indonesia have reported respiratory infections.

Well, now that you know, it’s time to stock up on your N95 masks, and prepare get a gym membership to keep fit instead.